Oh goody goody, someone wants to talk rabbits!!!! Yippee!
If you search "rabbit raising mamas" there are a couple of threads from way back when....
What kind of rabbits do you have? We raise Californians. We started w/Satins a few years ago, but they were just bad rabbits I guess because they didn't work out for us. I think the buck had been out in the heat (TX) too long and had gone sterile. They also didn't taste anywhere near as good as our Californians!
Currently we have 4 breeding does, and 3 almost-breeding age does (they should be ready next month, if I remember correctly). We have 3 bucks and currently have 20 bunnies in the grow out hutches. They will start going in the freezer in the next couple of weeks, and a couple may go on the grill this weekend.
We did have 8 breeding does, but had a genetic "twisted gut" issue so we had to cull several (they were related). Now that we have that straightened out, we should be good! We raise for our table, and also meat pens for county (4-H) shows--that's 4 rabbits and they sell for $100-120 per pen, depending who I'm selling to/how many they buy at once. That helps pay for lots of feed!
As for set up, never put adult rabbits in the same hutch, unless you are breeding them. And then you'd take the doe to the buck, NOT the other way around because the does are very territorial. Make sure that each hutch has a place for the rabbit to get up off the wire (are your hutches all wire or wire and wood?). We use a ceramic tile turned upside down. We feed Purina rabbit chow, mainly because it's the only pellet my rabbits won't waste much of. Otherwise, they scratch it out of their feeders.
We water them w/a semi-automatic watering system, which you will find out about in the Storey guide you have on the way. The only thing about it is that during the winter the water in the lines froze up and clogged up the valves bigtime. So we bought water bottles to have on hand for emergencies. I always keep extra tubing for their waterer, because we have had mysterious holes appear once in awhile.
Breeding....As I said, put the doe in with the buck. Stay there, it won't take long. I sometimes have to um, turn the buck around so he does his business at the right end of the doe, lol. Other than that, just watch for the doe to lift her hindquarters (I've had to help there, too, if she doesn't seem receptive) and for the buck to make a grunting noise (not always) and basically fall over sideways, lol. It's really funny. Then remove the doe, check her hind end to see if it's wet in the right spot, and put her back in her hutch. Put her back in with the same buck 8-10 hrs later. A doe is stimulated by the actual act, and her eggs won't release until hours later. Do not put her back in w/anyone else (some people are tempted to a couple of weeks later if they don't feel anything when they palpate her belly). Does can actually conceive later in the other side of her uterus, and that can result in a mess. FWIW, I can never ever feel anything at all in them, but about a week before they kindle I can watch quietly and see babies moving in there. I have RARELY ever had a doe not conceive.
For nesting boxes, we have one wooden one and the rest I made out of floor wire and I use a vinyl piece of material cut to fit on the bottom so I don't accidentally injure a baby's leg. You can also use cardboard and if you live where it's very cold, you can line the sides of the nesting box, too. You actually give the nesting box to the doe on the 27th day after breeding. I fill it with hay and that's it. She should have her babies by day 32, but I've had one doe go as long as 35 days, so be patient. When the doe kindles, immediately check them out. Give the doe a piece of raw sweet potato or banana to busy her while you remove the nesting box from her hutch. Remove any dead kits or remaining afterbirth and check the live ones out all over. If they have parts that are purple you can rub them a bit. They should pink up pretty soon after birth. There should be lots of fur in the nesting box. If there's not ALOT, then just pull some out of the does belly and sides. Should come right out, esp. if you catch them really soon after birth. If you have babies that were scattered on the hutch floor, even if they are stiff and cold sometimes they can be rubbed back to life. One of the best tricks I learned was to take a sandwich baggie and put the baby in it. Do not close the baggie! Put the baggie down in a sink of nice warm (but not hot) water and if it is saveable, after a few minutes it should start wiggling. Warm it thoroughly before putting it back in the nesting box. I've also warmed them w/a heat lamp (carefully) and had them inbetween my boobs while I get them to the sink. **normally a doe who has her kits on the wire is either inexperienced or a bad mother. The latter cannot be fixed and that doe goes in the freezer. Otherwise my does get one more try.** Check the babies every single day. In a couple of days they should be getting some fur. And you should see a fat belly if they have been getting milk. If they look all wrinkly, for some reason they aren't getting fed and you may need to try to foster them out to another doe. It's not often that you have to do this. For this reason, though, I always breed more than one doe at a time. I have not had luck trying to feed them myself (goat milk or kitten stuff). Oh, once in awhile a kit will stay attached to mama when mama jumps out of the nesting box. If it gets cold, it will die. Or mama may accidentally stomp on it. Oh yeah, and don't worry if you don't see mama nursing them. Most does only nurse once a day, some do it twice or three times. The doe may jump into the box when you come in because she is protective. I have one that will try to attack (her name is Psycho Bunny) when she is preggo or just had kits. I've been bitten by various does. Just be prepared, but it's not that bad, really.
There are times you will have to make the decision to put down a kit yourself. I won't lie. It's a hard decision, but one you must be prepared to make. The easiest and quickest way is a big rock (sorry). From my experience, the one that looks like it is struggling is and won't make it. It will only get worse, so the sooner you make your decision, the better. You will have to learn this yourself, though, and that guilt that goes along w/NOT making the decision soon enough is awful.
Let's see....if your bucks get too hot, they will become sterile. Sometimes permanently. They need their testicles to stay cooler than 80 degrees F. Rabbits do not do well in heat and humidity. We keep our breeders in an insulated, well ventilated rabbitry with an a/c unit. we have reserve grand champion breeders, and cannot afford to lose them.
Let me know if you have any other questions or if I didn't answer one thoroughly.
ENJOY YOUR RABBITS!!!!
ETA: Depending on when I'm breeding and for what reason, I will wean the bunnies between 4 and 6 weeks. I try to always start the process on wk 5 ( I keep detailed spreadsheets) and it takes about a week. If it is a large litter (8 or more), then I take 2 off at a time and put them in the grow out hutch. If it is a smaller litter I will take only one at a time. If I'm pushing my does for any reason ( breeding them sooner than normal for a meat pen sale breeding schedule for instance) I'll wean earlier, but not earlier than 4 wks! Oh, and you can rebreed your does 2 wks after they kindle if you need. And if for some reason one doesn't kindle you can rebreed her immediately, as long as you are SURE she didn't conceive (see above for gestation).
Do not EVER feed young rabbits greens. They can get nasty diarrhea and die.
I remove the nesting box around 2 1/2 wks-3 wks. Usually they have their eyes open and start getting out. After I put one or two back in for a few days, I'll just take the box out. Then you'll see them munching on food and drinking water.
One last thing. Occasionally you will have a doe who does not kindle, but you are SURE she was pg because you saw them moving. It is possible for a doe to retain her litter. If that happens, one of 2 things will happen as a result. 1) she becomes sterile, or 2) she will pass mummified kits next time she kindles. I have seen this (both ways).
As for recipes, wow, I could go on forever....We'll talk more about that later, lol. Let's just say you are going to love domestic rabbit in so so so many ways!
Butchering......my 11 yo dd and my 21 yo dd butcher ours.
where do you get your information from?
, and it has really good ones in the back. The ones I still make (although I have to use chicken these days) is the rabbit and dumplins, and the creole rabbit. Both of those dishes never had any leftovers! I think I still have this book. Send me a PM to remind me to look!
8 times in 4 days....
